The Price Of Wings
by Amateurhuman
Summary: Chloe Price, a talented but rowdy aviator in the US Navy, gets the chance of her life, but will she get too close to the sun and crash and burn? Inspired by the great art of the Arcadian on tumblr (the-arcadian-0125.). Crossover piece between Life is Strange and Top Gun with a sprinkle of G.I. Jane on top.
1. Prologue

"Lieutenant Price."  
Chloe stood in perfect attention in front of the desk. Behind it sat a weasel-like man with a thin graying moustache. His face was tanned and weathered and carried its fair share of furrows and grooves, but his eyes shone clear and intelligent as he peered up at the tall and slim woman standing there in the middle of the small office. With a stern look he measured her from top to bottom before he flicked a bony and well manicured hand.  
"At ease."  
The little man leaned back in the high backed leather chair with a face that couldn't decide if it should show mirth or mild indignation.  
"I don't know what you have done to deserve this honor," Leisurely he slapped a hand down on a folder lying squarely on the shining wooden desktop, "But I am damn sure glad to finally have you off my back."  
"Sir?" Chloe's face was motionless but on the inside her mind was racing. What was this all about? Did he mean honor in an ironic way, or what? The few times she had been in contact with the Commodore he had usually been very direct and on the point. In her mind she tried to go through all the things that could have got her in any trouble the last months. Sorry to say there were a few.  
Commodore Hutchkins raised a pair of gray eyebrows.  
"You have no idea what this is all about, do you, Lieutenant?"  
"No, Sir."  
"This," he said, smiling a small but surprisingly white smile, "Is a request for transfer. You are moving out. Effective immediately."  
"S-sir? Moving out? Where?" Chloe couldn't keep her face neutral any longer. She must have looked comically bewildered, because Commodore Hutchkins chuckled and shook his head slightly before grabbing the envelope and holding it out for her.  
"You are going to Miramar, California, Lieutenant. You have been selected for the Naval Fighters Weapons School. Congratulations."  
Chloe's mouth fell open and her eyes grew so wide they threatened to pop right out of her skull. She could not believe her ears! Every pilot in the navy knew about Naval Air Station Miramar and the Naval Fighters Weapons School. Finally, the words that were echoing in her dazzled brain started to settle, and a big grin formed on her lips.  
 _Topgun! I'm going to fucking Topgun!_

 _ooo_

"Sir, I just received a list of the new pilots for the Fighters Weapons School program," Commander Jackson said, popping his head through the open door.  
Captain Weilmark, sitting behind a large cluttered desk, put down the document he was reading and peered at Commander Jackson over a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, clasping his hands over his rounded belly.  
"All right. Come in, Jim. What kind of jokers have they sent us this year?"  
Commander Jackson walked up to his desk and stood, his uniform immaculate as always, his left arm behind his back, the right holding a stack of folders.  
"The regular bunch of daredevils and jackasses I would say. Except…"  
"Except what?"  
Jackson looked uncharacteristically troubled. It made Weilmark feel worried too. Commander Jackson was usually as calm as a rock in the desert.  
"We may have a problem, Sir."  
Weilmark sighed inwardly. Of course there couldn't be a new class without problems. Of course. Not once. Not ever. His only hope was that the problems would be manageable. He looked up at Jackson but almost didn't dare to ask.  
"A problem you say. What kind of problem?"  
Jackson gave him a peculiar look.  
"Does the name Chloe Elizabeth Price tell you anything?"  
Weilmark looked back, surprised. What kind of question was that?  
"No, should it? Wait…Have they sent us a - _a woman?_ "  
Jackson nodded. "They have, Sir."  
Weilmarks already big red face took an even darker shade.  
"Damn it, what are they thinking? This is outrageous! Five years they said, at the earliest, if it was ever to be!"  
"Apparently someone changed their mind about that, Sir, without bothering to tell us."  
Captain Weilmark growled.  
"Politicians! They should keep their fingers and noses far away from matters they don't understand. We have neither the accommodations nor the qualifications to deal with women pilots."  
"I know, Sir. And it gets worse."  
Weilmark gave Commander Jackson an incredulous stare.  
"Worse! How can it get any worse?"  
"Look, here is a picture of her." Jackson handed him a u.s. letter sized photograph from inside one of the folders.  
Weilmark took it and held it close to his face to get a good look. A young, slim but broad shouldered woman clad in the standard Navy flight gear with the helmet under her left arm, her blonde hair cut short, smiled confidently back at him from the photo.  
"So, this is her, Lieutenant Price, callsign 'Maverick'. She looks good if that's what you are after, cocky in the right way." He nodded approvingly. "But as a woman, that will only work against her I'd say."  
"No, Sir, that wasn't what I meant. Look again, and at her name. You see it?"  
Weilmark gave the photo one more look, then put it down, almost irritably, "See what? Stop speaking in riddles for heaven's sake, Jim."  
"Well, Sir, to me, it looks like she is almost certainly the daughter of the late Commander William Price."  
"What? _The_ Commander William Price? The Duck?"  
"The one and only, Sir."  
He picked up the photograph again, scrutinizing the woman depicted in it more closely this time. A pair of striking blue eyes under arched eyebrows, close cropped blonde hair, though she seemed to color part of it. A long thin straight nose, pronounced cheek bones, a pointy chin. Reluctantly he had to agree, it was an eerie similarity. But the thing that really gave it away was her look; a self-assured, almost defiant gaze that both challenged and asked for trouble at the same time. It was like a woman version of a face he had known all to well, a long time ago. However much he didn't want to, he had to give it to Jackson. He put down the photo almost with a feeling of dread.  
"I'll be damned, Jim, you are right. She has to be."  
"Yes, I believe she is, Sir. And I also did a quick enquiry. Her record is far from spotless, though nothing aggravating of course."  
"Just like her father's. But I guess she is also an outstanding pilot, just like her father was?"  
"Yes, Sir. Unconventional at times, but definitely good enough for Fighters Weapons School, despite her conduct shortcomings."  
Weilmark leaned back in his chair, which at the moment didn't feel as comfortable as it usually did.  
"Jesus Christ on a bicycle," He said with a head-shake. "The teachers will go ballistic, not to mention the other students. There is no way we can bail out of this, is there?"  
"No Sir, I don't think so. Not with these new policies in place."  
Weilmark groaned. The first woman at Topgun, and it had to be the offspring of the legendary Commander Price. And of course it had to be on his watch.  
"Well, shoot and golly, what a doggone shit-sandwich we've been served. What are we to do?"  
They looked at each other for what felt like a long time, until Jackson gave him a careful smile. "We will figure it out, Sir."  
Captain Weilmark answered him with a deep sigh, then continued, "Yes, we will, Jim," unsuccessfully trying to reassure himself. Weilmark stared out the rain-streaked window to the wet training field and the silent runways beyond it, his mottled brow deep in wrinkles.  
"We will. Somehow."


	2. Crossroads

It was Friday evening, and Chloe sat in her little apartment on Green Lakes Drive, Virginia Beach. She was drunk, and she was alone. One hand held an almost empty glass of bourbon, while the other fiddled with her boombox, which blared a wonky, distorted rendition of "Filler," by Minor Threat. She pulled the cassette out, wound the magnetic tape with her pinky finger, and then inserted the cassette again. She pressed play and this time it sounded much better.

Chloe leaned backwards in her chair with a smug expression as the music started to pound from the speakers again. "Damn, I have magic fingers…" The music started to chop, stutter, and rustle painfully until it suddenly stopped completely. The only sound coming from the apparatus was now a loud whining. "…of doom! What the hell?"

Chloe quickly leaned forward to punch down the stop button to prevent the cassette player from totally shredding the tape, but in her drunken state she misjudged the distance and punched the whole boombox, sending it crashing to the floor. Now on its side, it continued to whine and hack as it spooled out the magnetic tape into the machine, hopelessly entangling into a big, messy ball of brown, flimsy film.

"Oh for fuck's sake, I loved that tape!" She kicked the boombox, quite a lot harder than she had intended, and it careened away over the floor and hit the wall with a shattering sound, disconnecting the power cord in the process. "Chloe, that was a tad unnecessary," she spoke to herself with resignation as she stared in disbelief at her almost brand new boombox, now in pieces in the corner of the room.

She sighed. _Well, that's just life, isn't it?_ _Everything is fine and dandy until it's not, and however good your intentions, you just manage to make things worse._ Tipsily, she poured the last drop of whiskey into her glass, tossed it down her throat in a quick gulp, and then smacked the glass down on the table as she rose unsteadily and lumbered over to her unmade bed. She fell heavily down on the jumble of blankets and pillows, turned over, and stared up at the cracks in the ceiling, wondering how she would ever be able to sleep. The next moment she snored noisily, fully dressed, her arms and legs splayed in all directions.

Chloe awoke too early the next morning, her limbs heavy and her head a nauseating mass of dull pain. An extremely annoying chiming sound rang relentlessly on in her skull. She tried to ignore it, but it was impossible. The ringing noise resonated and enhanced her hangover, driving her nuts. She opened her eyes and stared unseeingly out into her room while she slowly regained consciousness. She listened to the sound again and felt a slight relief. The ringing wasn't in her head; it was the doorbell, and it was accompanied by some thumping, and a voice. "Chloe! Chloe, open the god-damned door! I know you are in there!"

She carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. She massaged her aching brow and temples. _Oh shit, Elliot. I completely forgot._ "One moment," she croaked. "I'll be there in a second." She walked over to the kitchen space, drank a mouthful of water directly from the tap, and quickly brushed her teeth for about five seconds. It was better than not doing it at all. Then, taking a deep breath and smoothing out her sleep-ruffled clothes, she went and unlocked the door.

Elliot, her boyfriend of seven years, stood there clad in Bermuda shorts and a silk, Hawaiian-style shirt. He gave her an angry stare from behind his sunglasses. "Hey! What's up with you?" He walked in and scrunched his nose at the stale air in the little room. He pushed his Ray-bans up to his brow and noticed the empty bottle of whiskey and single glass on the table. "Have you been drinking? With whom?"

"Just a glass of whiskey, alone." Chloe glanced at the broken stereo in the corner, hoping Elliot wouldn't comment on it. It would be even more awkward to explain, but he searched her face instead.

"Just one glass? Alone? Really?" He gave her a suspicious look. Then he looked down at her rumpled t-shirt and jeans in dismay. "And how come you're not dressed yet? I mean for the beach. You look like shit."

"Yeah, I know, sorry. I'll be ready in a sec, just give me a moment." Chloe moved over to her little cupboard and started to rummage around to fetch clothes and stuff for the beach.

"Don't forget to wear your new bikini, the one I gave you."

Chloe paused and looked back at him. "I think…I mean…it's minimal. I really don't feel comfortable wearing it."

"Oh please, grow up. There's nothing wrong in showing a little skin. You definitely have the body for it. I mean, that's the point isn't it? And don't forget to put on some makeup too. We are not on your military base now."

"You mean naval…"

"Sure, whatever." Grunting, Elliot looked down at his watch. "The guys are waiting. I don't have time to stand here while you get yourself ready. You know I had to bang on your door like an idiot for ten minutes before you opened?" Elliot gave her a disgruntled stare. "Ten. Minutes. I told you to be ready to go half past nine, and here we are, almost ten o'clock, not going anywhere." He snorted, a sound that could have been one of humor or disapproval. "You're lucky I am not your commanding officer."

"Yeah, I am really sorry. I screwed up. I'll come along as soon as I can."

Elliot nodded. "We are down at the volleyball courts as usual. And hurry up, will you? If you're late, it will give a really bad impression." He went to walk out, but then stopped and turned in the doorway. He gave her a lopsided smile, but his eyes were demanding. "And Chloe, be sure to look good today. Reggie is bringing his new girlfriend, and she is apparently a real bombshell. I want to show him who's the top player still."

"Reggie? With a bombshell?"

"Yeah, it doesn't add up, I know. But I won't take any chances." Elliot winked and smiled sharply at her before putting his sunglasses back on again. Then he turned and walked away. Chloe, who had followed Elliot out into the hallway, stood there chewing her lip and feeling stupid as she watched his colorful shirt disappear through the door and down the stairs to the street outside, where his red Ferrari 308 GTS stood parked. She _had_ screwed up, completely.

Chloe listened to Elliot start the car and drive away. Then she closed her apartment door and continued to pack for the beach. A large towel, espadrilles, sunscreen, her Walkman, a bottle of water, two apples, and sunglasses soon lay in a neatly ordered line on the little kitchen table. She fetched the fancy emerald and gold Dolce & Gabbana bikini Elliot had gifted her the other week and looked it over. It was not an exaggeration to say that it was minimal, almost a g-string, with super high-cut hips. On the plus side, the cups of the strapless top had cookie pads to compensate for her insufficient bust size. Though she was in a hurry, she would need to shave, both her legs and the so-called bikini line. Chloe groaned and shot her navy training shorts and racerback tank top a longing glance before hastening to the shower. She prayed she wouldn't come out bleeding from dozens of razor cuts like a casualty of war. That would definitely not please Elliot.

Chloe undressed quickly and stepped into the shower cabin, turned on the faucet, and let the cold water wash over her face and body. She let out a little satisfied yelp as the chilly jets kick-started her circulation, contracted her skin, and quickened her breath. As the temperature gradually went from icy cold to tepid to hot, she relaxed and started to go through her shower routine.

The bathroom, and the shower in particular, was Chloe's thinking space. It had always been so, ever since she was a little girl. So many important decisions had been made in the shower, like not to invite fucking Marissa Rogers and Maxine Caulfied to her eighth birthday party. Why invite your worst bullies to your own party if you could decide for yourself? She'd had to tell her mom about the bullying, but she'd never regretted that. She had also decided to spend all her savings on those oxblood Dr. Martens when she was thirteen. She had been a bit of a punk in her younger years, and god had she loved those boots. So yeah, she'd never regretted that. It was also in the shower she had decided to try to sneak into a Firewalk concert with her friends when she was fifteen. Oh boy, did she not regret that.

The decision to become a naval aviator, just like her dad, she had also made in the shower at the age of sixteen. It had been just weeks after her mother's funeral. To prepare to become a navy pilot had been hard work, with parallel courses and summer school for two years straight to be able to take a bachelor's degree before she graduated from high school. But she had managed, and although she had sometimes felt deep despair during all those lonely, late-night study sessions, she had never, ever, regretted it.

One of the hardest decisions she had ever made was to say no to the Naval Fighters Weapons School. That decision was also made in the shower just a couple of days ago. She was not entirely sure she wouldn't regret it though, but it was too late to change her mind, even if she would like to. The official decline letter was posted in the mail, and even if she hadn't posted it, which she had, just yesterday, she probably wouldn't be able to get to the west coast in time. It was a forty hour drive across the continent, at least, and that was if you drove non-stop, no sleep, no bathroom breaks, no stops for food and drink. She should report to the guard at 0600, Monday at the latest at the naval base in Miramar. That was exactly forty-four hours from now. Every second ticking by was a second closer to never being able to go to Topgun. She was sure there would not be another chance like this again.

Chloe sighed and reached for the Just Whistle Gillette razor set she kept on a shelf in the shower cabin. She really didn't have time for this, and she sure as fuck didn't feel like whistling. It was still hard to process, but Elliot had flat-out refused to let her go. As she leaned forward and put the razor against her ankle, then carefully scraped it up towards her knee, Chloe replayed their last and final conversation on the matter in her head. "It's just for two months. Then we will be together again. I promise. Or, you could move to Miramar with me, just until I'm done?"

"Why the heck would I want to move to Miramar? It's on the west coast for chuck's sake. I don't know anybody there."

"You'll know me." Chloe had tried a little smile, but Elliot had not been amused.

"Hah! You'll be training all day and all night with those smart-ass flyboys. No thank you."

"We could get a house or an apartment near the base. If we lived together, we would see each other a lot, even more than we do now."

Elliot had just stared at her. Then he'd sighed in irritation. "You know what my parents have said about moving in together before we're married. Just can't do it. And no, we are not marrying before I get my promotion. I plan to only get married once in life, and I want it to be done right." His face had become stern. "I am sorry, Chloe, but this Topgun thing, it's a big no. Just get over it."

Thinking back on it, her cheeks burned with shame. She had actually begged Elliot, almost on her knees. She had pleaded, nearly cried, though she would never let herself actually cry before another human being. It had only made Elliot even more irritated than before. "I don't really get why you even want to go," he had scoffed at her. "Are you really so stupid to think you will have a chance against those other guys? They are the best of the best, Chloe. The best! The only thing you will accomplish by going there is thoroughly embarrassing yourself. I can't believe you don't see that."

"But being the first woman ever to attend Topgun, doesn't that count for something?"

"Yeaaaa…there's _that_ angle to it too. You see yourself like some kind of champion for women in the military, Chloe? Is that was this is all about?" He shook his head. "That's just outright silly, and you know it. Think what people might think of _me_ if I endorse you going to that pilot school? They might think I am some kind of…of feminist. It's bad enough as it is."

"But…don't you believe in equal rights?"

"Of course I do, honey. But I also believe that there is a natural order to things, and that we should let it be like it's supposed to be. Anything else is just…unnatural. And let me tell you, women as fighter pilots? That's as unnatural as it comes!"

Chloe knew Elliot and his family held very traditional values, but it had still been hard to take in his words. "But, you let me be a pilot. You encouraged me, even!"

"Yes, I know, but that was only because I care about you and wanted to support you. I mean, you really needed something else to think about back then, something to set your mind to. I never imagined you would actually succeed! So, yeah, looking back at it, I really should've nipped that one in the bud. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, as they say, but it would've spared us so much trouble. So, that's what I intend to do now, nip it." He had done a pinching gesture with his right thumb and index finger in front of her face. "I am not one to make the same mistake twice."

She had just looked at him, hopelessness filling her heart and her blue eyes filling with moisture, totally against her will. Elliot's face had softened, though his resolution had not. He had continued, less harshly, while putting out a hand to stroke her arm comfortingly, "You know, after your mother died, I really worked hard to keep you happy. I sacrificed a lot to be with you and keep your nose above water, if you remember. Now I think I am entitled to some respect and lenience in return for that time, don't you agree?"

It was hard, but she had to agree. It just hadn't been possible to argue with him anymore, not when he had already made up his mind. And he was right, in a sense. Elliot had been very supportive when her mother had been diagnosed with and just six months later died of cervical cancer. It had been a really rough time for her, and his care had been invaluable. That was six years ago, and she had only been sixteen years old, left all alone in the world, except for Elliot and his family, no siblings, no close relatives. Well, there was an uncle, Aaron Price, who lived in Salt Lake City last time she had heard. But since her father, William, Aaron's big brother, had disappeared over the skies of Vietnam thirteen long years ago, they had lost contact. Chloe couldn't even remember what he looked like. Without Elliot, she wasn't sure where she'd be today, if even alive. She really ought to be more thankful. In reality, Elliot was the only family she had left, and she was scared shitless of losing him too.

Chloe emerged from the shower, refreshed, mostly unscathed, and determined to, no, hell-bent on, making this day not a day of moping but a day of fun at the beach. If she hadn't been in such a hurry, she would have put on her training clothes and running shoes and jogged down to the waterfront. She loved to run and tried to do it as much as time allowed. The beach volleyball court they usually stayed at was just shy of five miles away from her address, down by the aquarium, and she usually ran that in approximately twenty-five minutes, give or take. It wasn't that she lost much time compared to taking the bus, or even driving, but lately she had run a lot less and driven a lot more than usual.

Chloe dressed in her favorite pair of Lewis 501 jeans, a white shirt, and her dad's trusty old leather jacket, before grabbing her backpack and putting on her pilot mirror sunglasses and sturdy, black biker boots. With a big grin on her face, she locked the door behind her and stomped down the stairs to the street and to her bike. The red and black Kawasaki Ninja GPz900R stood glistening in the morning sun like a magical, wild beast impatiently pulling on its chain while waiting for its master and ready to roam the land. The motorcycle was still almost brand new, and Chloe's heart rate picked up speed as she swung her leg over the saddle, gripped the handles, and pushed the heavy machine forward to fold up the kickstand. She had saved for more than a year to buy it. It hadn't been cheap, but man was it a joy to drive. It was all she had dreamt of, and more. Riding the Ninja was the closest to the pure freedom of flying one could get on land, and of course she took every opportunity to ride it she could get.

Chloe started the engine and pulled on the throttle a couple of times. The purr between her legs rose to a roar, and the sheer energetic power of the sound sent shivers down her spine and prickled her arms. She took a deep breath through her nose and then switched gears from neutral to first and up the numbers in quick succession as she took off at a break neck speed. The front wheel lifted up into the air for a couple of seconds before she eased up on the throttle. The engine howled triumphantly as she accelerated. The air ruffled her short, blonde hair as she leaned forward behind the windscreen to avoid being blown away by the headwind. Off to the beach she went.

The boys were already warming up at their usual spot by the time Chloe got there. It was a perfect summer morning with a light breeze coming in from the majestic Atlantic Ocean. The big sky was a deep azure blue, and the sand was golden, stretching as far as she could see both to the left and to the right. Chloe's trained eyes spotted a single aircraft doing maneuvers out at sea. Not an F-14, for sure, but something plumper and slower, probably an EA-6B Prowler by the flight pattern and speed. It was ages since she had flown a Prowler, and she didn't miss it. The airplane was slow and clumsy compared to an F-14 Tomcat, and since she was a hopeless speed junkie, she was a Tomcat gal through and through.

Her heart jumped at the thought of flying again. She'd had ground training and tactical studies for almost two weeks now with Officer García. He was very skilled and meticulous, on the verge of maddening, but as a graduate of Topgun, he was well respected. He had congratulated her on her own Topgun assignment and had wished her good luck. He had even given her some small hints and tips. Chloe got a nauseous feeling in her gut thinking back on it and tried to think of something else.

The guys hadn't started playing yet, but there was no point in disturbing them more than necessary. Until their match had been played, they were quite tense and antisocial. She had learned it was better to avoid them until after their game. This had been their Saturday routine the entire summer. They'd meet at the beach in the morning before the sun grew too hot. The boys played beach volleyball while the girls chatted and tanned. Afterwards, they'd head home for a siesta during the heat of the day and meet again later in the evening at some fancier establishment for food and drinks and maybe dancing. The losers of the morning's match had to foot the bill for the night out, which usually amounted to a substantial heap of cash. Money wasn't really a problem though. The guys were all well-off with lucrative jobs in the business sector. It was more about honor and victory. A big part of their ritual was the victory beer. The two losers would fetch bottles of cold beer and serve the winners as an acknowledgement of their defeat. It was often a source of much spectacle, with bowing, knee bending, and other silly gestures of subjection. Chloe wasn't sure which team had more wins, but she suspected it was a pretty even score. What she did know was that Elliot's team had lost last week, and he had been really eager for today's rematch.

She waved at the boys as she passed and walked up to the girls, who lay a ball throw's distance away basking in the sun in their bikinis. Everyone was already there—Elizabeth, Anders' girlfriend, and Carol, who was Josh's, and the new girl. Chloe gave her a look over as she walked closer, though she was careful not to stare. New girl really was an exceptional beauty. Dark-haired, short, and curvy, with large, hazel eyes framed by thick, black lashes and soft kissable lips covered in a glossy, pink lipstick, she was everything Chloe was not. Somewhere deep inside, she felt a sting of jealousy.

Chloe was tall, short-haired, pale, and not curvy at all, and her face, though distinct, was a long shot from being classically beautiful. Her broad shoulders, muscular arms, and narrow hips meant that traditional women's fashion didn't fit her well. Nowadays, she preferred to wear men's clothing whenever possible, which further reduced her not-so-apparent femininity. The little softness of hips and bum she'd had in her teens had diminished when she started to run 50 miles a week. Often, she didn't give it a second thought. It was just a perk to fitting in with the almost entirely male Navy. But sometimes, when she saw a beautiful woman, it hit her, and she could feel a pang of regret. _Damn, Reggie, methinks you have made the catch of the year here._ "Hey gals, how's it hangin'," Chloe asked, sitting down cross-legged in their midst and giving them a grin from behind her mirrored sunglasses.

"Hiiii, Chloe!" Carol said enthusiastically, waving her hand. "We are just hanging out here, waiting for you."

"Well, here I am."

"Grab a soda. The red one is ours. The boys' is the white one." Elizabeth lifted her head an inch from the towel she lay on and gestured lazily at two bulky plastic cooler bags, one red, one white, standing in the shade of a parasol just beside them. "Oh, by the way, this is Jessica."

"Pleased to meet you," new girl said, reaching out a hand to Chloe, who nodded and shook it awkwardly. "And call me Jessie, everyone else does."

"Hi, Jessie. I'm Chloe."

"I figured. Hard to miss that entrance." She gave her a shrewd smile. "So, are you with one of the boys, or…?"

"Yeah, Elliot."

"Aha, the handsome one," Jessica said, like, of course Chloe had the handsome boy.

"Josh is handsome too!" Carol protested.

"Sure, but you know what I mean."

"I most certainly do not," Carol said with a sour expression.

"Josh is cute but not handsome-handsome," Elizabeth said, on her back on the towel, still as a corpse, face up toward the sky, with sunglasses over her eyes. "Anders is a Viking, but not exactly handsome, and Reggie, well, he is Reggie. If one of them is the handsome one, it's Elliot."

"So spoketh Zarathustra," Chloe said, laughing while stretching for a bottle of fizz from the cooler bag. Carol just let out a grumpy harrumph.

"Anyway," said Jessica, giving Chloe a sidelong glance, "aren't you going to change into something more beachy? That leather jacket looks really hot."

"Yeah, doesn't it?" Chloe grinned and stuck out a pink tongue at her. She popped open her soda with an opener from her keychain and took a gulp while Jessica gave her a little smile.

Down at the volleyball court the boys had started their match. Reggie just barely made an incredible save far to the side, and Elliot managed to punch the ball down at Josh and Anders's side. The girls hooted and clapped. They could see Josh walking around in a circle, mumbling something under his breath, his shoulders high. Anders stood and hit his thighs and haunches with open palms as if trying to wake them up. It was just the beginning of the game and the atmosphere down at the court was already tense.

Among the guys, Josh, though shorter and stockier, was the best player, so he played with Anders, who wasn't all that good. Elliot played with Reggie. Elliot and Reggie were equally matched skill-wise, but Reggie was really tall and lanky and had great speed and an even greater reach. Elliot on the other hand had an unbending winning mentality and never gave up on a ball, which made him into an equally challenging opponent. Anders was also tall but had grown up in Scandinavia before moving to the states in his late teens, and apparently beach volleyball wasn't a thing over there. But what he lacked in technique, he compensated for with fervor and stamina. Combined with Josh's tactical sense and skill, they were a pretty good team, so the two pairs were evenly matched and it made for pretty interesting games.

The girls continued to watch the boys play. "Do any of you girls play?" Jessica asked the others after a while.

"Oh, no," Carol giggled, "me and balls, we just don't agree. They never go where I want them to go, as with everything else in my life, I guess. Do you play, Jessie?"

"Me? Look at these," Jessica said and made her round bust wobble with her hands. "I have trouble getting these two under control when just walking. I don't need another ball to think of on top of that." They all laughed. "How about you then, Lizz?" Jessica asked, turning to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth scoffed. "No way. It may look like fun, but it's a lie. It's really exhausting. I don't like it." She turned and patted Chloe on her shoulder. "But you, Chloe, Chlo-the-jock, you know how to play, right?"

Chloe laughed a little. "Yeah, I've played some. I think it's fun." She looked at the guys again. Josh had just scored, and Elliot and Reggie were cursing the sky loudly. Then they hung their heads and kicked the sand like their lives depended on winning the match. She added, "With the right players."

The truth was that Chloe had played both indoor and beach volleyball a lot. They had physical training, PT, every day at the base. Aside from running and regular workouts, volleyball was the most common type of PT, and it was by far the most popular. Her colleagues were quite good, so it was no walk in the park either. For the one and a half years, she had been stationed there, she too had become quite skilled. She definitely could stand her ground against any of her Navy friends.

"Anyone up for a bite?" Carol asked as she rummaged through the cooling bag and fetched two plastic boxes filled with food. They were all a bit hungry, so Carol gave out bagels with cheese and ham. Elizabeth handed out more soda. The sun had risen high in the cloudless sky, and it was beginning to get really hot. Chloe felt sweat trickling down her back, so she took off her leather jacket, boots, and socks and put them in the sand beside her. She really wanted to dress down to the bikini she wore underneath, but she dreaded it. She rolled her trousers up as far they'd go. She gave it a couple of minutes, but it was still too hot. Finally, she stood up and took off her jeans and shirt.

"Whooo, new bikini!" Carol said with a laugh. "Sexy lady!"

"Yeah, I know. It's a bit extreme."

"No, I love it," said Jessica." Is it Brazilian style?"

"I have no idea," Chloe said as she opened her backpack, took out her sunscreen, and started applying it to her very exposed skin.

"Love the colors, Chloe. That's a D and G, though," Elizabeth said, taking a bite from her bagel. "Nice, Elliot is spoiling you, girl."

Chloe scoffed, but said nothing.

They munched, drank, and talked music. Both Jessica and Carol were big Bon Jovi fans, and the band had apparently just released a new album that was great. Elizabeth loved Depeche Mode, and she and Anders had been to both their concerts in the U.S. this year, in Boston on the east coast, and Irvine on the west coast. They spent a sizeable amount of time discussing the bands and their music. Chloe hadn't heard any of either of their new albums, and she wasn't really a fan of either Depeche or Bon Jovi, so she sat mostly silent.

"And you, Chloe, let me guess, you are really into Annie Lennox?" It was Jessie who asked, and it took Chloe by surprise. She looked up.

"Huh? Yeah, she's alright I guess. Haven't listened much to her. Eurythmics isn't really my kind of music."

"I mean your style, men's clothes, short blonde hair, athletic build. Do you sing also?"

"No, I don't. Not even in the shower." Chloe smirked awkwardly and dragged her hand over her stubbed head, feeling self-conscious and accidentally leaving a chunk of cheese clogged in her hair. Jessie reached out to wipe it off, but Chloe hastily and with reddening cheeks brushed the crumbs away before Jessie could touch her. She cleared her throat. "Ah, well, actually, I mostly keep it short for practical reasons."

Jessie laughed and threw her long, dark locks from one shoulder to the other. "Yeah, I hear you. I feel the same about my hair every morning when I am in the shower. Why can't I just have short hair and be done in a minute? I mean, if I could save thirty minutes a day, in a lifetime that's a lot of minutes I could spend on better things, like sleep." Jessica smiled crookedly. "But I am just not gutsy enough to cut it off. Not like you."

"Oh, I mean I keep it short for work."

"Work? What do you do that requires you to keep your hair that short?"

"It's not a requirement, per se. It's just more practical. I am a naval aviator."

"A naval what?" Jessica looked like a living question mark. Her expression made both Carol and Elizabeth giggle.

"She is a fighter pilot," Carol said. "She flies one of those." She pointed to a plane that had just come flying in from the sea, passing the beach almost directly over their heads, its landing gear fully extended. They all followed with their eyes as it flew in over the city, veering sharply to make the final descent to one of the landing strips down at the Oceana air base. There was not much use in talking when the aircraft's jet engine drowned out all other sounds.

When it had passed, Jessica turned to Chloe. "You are a-a fucking _fighter pilot_?!"

"Yeah, that's another word for it. But I don't fly that kind of plane, that's an EA…a Prowler. It's not a fighter. They do electronic warfare and stuff. I fly the Tomcat, a two-seater, a bit bigger and a lot faster. The Tomcat is a real twin engine fighter plane. Well, it's actually a hybrid between an attack and fighter aircraft, so I train for both aerial combat and attack missions. The same plane can be adapted to different roles, which was pretty unique when it was… new.…" Chloe paused, seeing that the other three girls' eyes had glazed over. She let out an embarrassed little laugh. "Sorry, too much info. Sometimes I get a bit carried away."

"You don't say?" Jessica said, smiling at her. "You really love planes, don't you?" Her voice was teasing, but her eyes held a new kind of respect.

Chloe shrugged slightly. "Yeah, my dad was an aviator too, so aircrafts have kind of been with me my whole life. When the other kids drew houses and horses in kindergarten, I drew missiles and warplanes. It's just natural I continue his legacy, I guess."

"You said 'was'? Doesn't he fly anymore?"

"No, he…doesn't." Chloe paused, looking away. "He was shot down over Vietnam, a long time ago, when I was nine years old. He never made it back."

"Oh, honey, that's-that's just terrible." Jessica put a warm hand sympathetically on Chloe's shoulder.

"Well, as I said, it was a long time ago. But I am happy to fly, and also happy there are no wars to be shot down in, not at the moment anyway."

"But you would, if there was a war, I mean?"

"Of course I would fly, that's the whole point of it. That's what we train for. But I would do my best to avoid being shot down, though." She smiled, but her smile waned. "Let's hope there are no wars. I don't want to scare you guys, but the Ruskies are a real threat. They are up to something. We've had some skirmishes in recent years actually, but nothing that made it to the press." Chloe paused. "Sorry, I think I just blurted out some classified stuff. Please ignore my blabbermouth."

"Our lips are sealed," Carol said with a nervous laugh, shooting Elizabeth a worried look.

They were all silent for a while. Then Elizabeth said, "Josh said you had been accepted to some kind of special elite pilot school or something. He said it was really cool and you are the first woman ever to be sent there?"

"Topgun, yes. I could've, but I said no." Chloe could feel her whole body tense up.

"What? Why?" The three other girls spoke over each other, but Chloe looked away, not wanting to meet their eyes.

"Because of Elliot." She sighed. "He didn't want me to move away. Topgun is located in California."

"Really?" Jessica said. "That was a real dick move."

Carol giggled and put her hand to her mouth. "Dick move? I have never heard that expression. Is it a good or bad thing?"

"Well, when used as an expression like this, it's always a bad thing," Jessica said, while giving Carol a look of disbelief.

"Can't you make him change his mind?" Elizabeth asked, still flustered. "There is still time, isn't there?"

Chloe was silent. She didn't know how to say that she didn't want to talk about it. Maybe it was better to talk now and be done with it. She tried to hide a sigh and lowered her shoulders. "In theory, yes. It start's this Monday. But believe me, I've talked and I've tried. Maybe it's for the best. I mean, Elliot hasn't asked me to stop flying or anything. Of course, I could've gone anyway, but I didn't want to risk our engagement."

"Are you guys engaged?" Jessica looked at her with big eyes, and then without asking she took Chloe's left hand in hers and inspected it. There was a ring on her finger, a thin golden band encrusted with a string of small inlaid diamonds, sparkling in the sun. "Wow, it's really nice," she said, turning Chloe's hand to get a good look.

Chloe thought she could hear a hint of jealousy in Jessica's voice, and it made her feel bad. "Thank you. I can't have a protruding one. It must sit flush so I can wear flight gloves over it."

Seconds later, both Carol and Elizabeth showed their hands too. "What's this?" Jessica laughed. "You've got rings all around?" She inspected Carol's and Elizabeth's rings too, but maybe a little bit half-heartedly. "They are all very nice. You are a lucky trio."

"Don't worry, Jessie," Carol said, patting her hand. "You'll get yours too in no time. Then you can be lucky number four!"

"I…" Jessica suddenly looked downcast. "I don't think so." She sighed heavily. "I don't think I'm really considered marriage material."

"What makes you say that?" Elizabeth looked confused.

"Yeah, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Carol exclaimed.

"You are all kind of upper class girls, amirite?" Jessica said, giving them all a hesitant look.

"Chloe is not," said Carol, before putting her hand over her mouth and giving Chloe a guilty look.

Jessica scoffed. "Well, Chloe is a fucking amazon fighter pilot. I sort mail at the post office, as an extra."

There was an awkward silence before Elizabeth finally said, "Work isn't everything. I am not planning to work when I and Anders are married."

"I don't mind working," Jessica said. "But my life, well, it's just kind of complicated right now."

"How so?"

"I-I don't really want to talk about it, but if you know someone who has a place where I can stay I would be very thankful."

"Can't you stay with Reggie? Is there a problem between you two?"

"Oh, not at all, on the contrary, he is really sweet." They all looked at her, but no one said anything. Jessica looked down before continuing, "I mean, if we are to have a relationship, I can't be dependent on him like that." She looked up. "It's not good for me, or for him. I mean, we've just met. It's better if I am not moving in the first day, right?"

"Yeah, I understand." Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully. "So where are you staying when you are not with Reg?"

Jessica's gaze flickered between them. "Oh, here and there."

"Like, with friends?"

"Sometimes."

"Can't you stay at your parents?" Carol asked, eyebrows raised.

"Oh no, they live in Chesapeake, but even if they lived here…no." It was apparent Jessica didn't want to talk about it.

"Well, if I hear of anything, I'll let you know." Elizabeth gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, me too," said Chloe.

Carol nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, guys." Jessica gave them all a smile back, though it seemed a bit forced.

The volleyball match was still going on. The boys were really sweating it out down at the court and every point was a fight. Josh and Anders had won the first set by a nose, and now they were about to finish the second set, which would give them the match for the second week in a row. But it was going to be a close call.

Elliot and Reggie were fighting like madmen and were slowly eating away at the lead. Ball by ball, point by point, they were catching up, making Josh and Anders stressed and edgy. At the moment, they had the upper hand, but they'd have to stay on their game. The girls got into the excitement of the game as well and clapped and cheered at every twist and turn.

"I will have soooo many Slippery Nipples tonight," Elizabeth said, nudging Carol with a smug grin.

Carol grimaced. "Ugh, I can't believe you drink those. I mean, even the name is disgusting. I am a Blue Ocean girl all the way." Then she giggled. "Or maybe Sex on the Beach, if I'm in the mood." Carol turned to Chloe and Jessica with a fake apologetic smile. "Sorry, looks like our boys will win this one for us."

"It ain't over yet," Jessica answered back in mock defiance. "You just wait and see."

The guys fought furiously, running hither and thither, making saves and shots. They could see that the boys were tiring. Suddenly, an accident happened down at the court. Josh and Anders had both thrown themselves at the same ball, and Josh, being shorter and faster, knocked his head up into Anders's chin with a loud smack. The girls could hear the impact where they sat. Anders tumbled to the ground, his hands covering his face. Josh had actually managed to hit the ball, but it flew right into the net.

Elizabeth hastily stood up with a yell. "Oh, baby!"

Anders was still down, rolling back and forth on the sand. "Ouch, what a sucker punch" he slurred as he sat up. He wasn't bleeding, but was pretty wobbly.

"Oh, come here, my little puppy," Elizabeth shouted, arms outreached as she ran to him. As Anders rose up on all fours and started to crawl toward her, he really did look like a big puppy on unsteady legs. Anders fell down with a sigh and put his head in Elizabeth's lap, and she started to caress his blonde hair. "Sorry guys," he groaned, "I think I am out. Need to lie down for a while."

Josh looked at the other guys. "Okay, we'll just wait for Anders to get some rest."

Elliot paced anxiously back and forth. He and Reggie put their heads together and whispered, then Reggie turned to Josh. "Five minutes," he said, "then we play."

"Guys, guys." It was Anders who spoke. "Seriously, I don't think I can play anymore right now. We'll have to continue later."

"No way!" Elliot exclaimed heatedly. "We play now, or it's a walkover."

"What? Not a chance!" Josh sounded angry.

"Okay then, let's play," Elliot said, gesturing for Josh to throw him the ball.

"Two against one? Are you crazy?" Josh stared at him in disbelief.

"Well, if you can find another player in…" Elliot looked at his watch. "…four minutes and nineteen seconds, that's okay with me." He looked at Reggie who grinned and nodded his head.

Josh searched around in desperation. There were not many people on the beach and none they knew or that seemed fit enough for even a casual game of beach volleyball. Josh muttered under his breath, "You gotta be fucking kidding me…"

"Tick tock," Elliot said with satisfied grin as he pecked at his left wrist with an index finger.

The seconds ticked on. Minutes passed as Josh, waiting for a miracle to happen, scanned the beach. Suddenly, Carol spoke. "Chloe can play!" They all turned to where she, Jessica, and Chloe sat. "Well, you said you knew how to play, didn't you?" Carol continued, looking at Chloe.

Chloe squirmed uncomfortably as all eyes turned on her. "Well, yes, but…"

"Okay then, go and play! Josh needs you."

"I am not sure that…" Chloe began, but Carol talked over her.

"Do you see anyone else around?" Carol rose and dragged Chloe up with her, pushing her gently toward the court. "Please help him. You are our only hope."

Chloe gave her a little laugh at that and then tentatively began to walk down to where Josh stood. "Okay, guys, looks like I will be standing in for Anders, if that's okay."

Elliot and Reggie gave each other an amused look and then shrugged. "Okay with us."

Anders just grunted.

Josh put a hand on the back of his neck and looked at her skeptically. But Chloe was tall and fit, and he had to admit that playing with a partner beats playing solo every day of the week. When she got closer, he walked up close, face-to-face. "So, you have played before?" he asked.

"Sure."

"Okay, just keep in the back and try to take the stragglers I can't catch, you understand?"

Chloe tilted her head. "There are no set positions in beach volleyball, Josh." She gave him a thin smile. "When I said sure, I meant that I can play. Don't worry, we'll give them a match."

Josh looked at her in surprise, then he gave her a little smile and shook his head. "Okay then, let's play. No set positions." He began to walk away, but then turned to her again. "Remember, we just have to take these two points and we're home. Let's just break their serve and play it safe, okay?"

Chloe answered with a nod. Josh went and fetched the ball and threw it to Reggie who had the serve. "With four seconds to spare," Elliot shouted. "Okay, let's win this, Reg."

Reggie bounced the ball a couple of times, and then he served right at Chloe. She threw up her hands and managed to get the ball up into the air. Josh rushed forward and laid it up for her to smash it over the net. She ran, jumped high, and struck the ball, sending it over the net and zooming down between Elliot and Reggie. Surprised, Reggie threw himself sideways and saved it just before it could hit the ground. Eliot came forward and laid it down in the rear left corner. Chloe rushed and threw herself into the sand. Nose-diving, she barely managed to get the ball off the ground for Josh. As she slid in the sand, she felt her strapless bikini top slide down from the forward momentum. _Shit._ There was no way she could get up without flashing her boobs at everyone.

"On your feet, Chloe!" Josh shouted as he ran and tipped the ball over the net to avoid a double contact fault. You were only allowed to touch the ball once, and then your teammate had to touch it, for a total of three touches before the ball had to go over the net or lose the ball. Chloe fiddled with her top and got it in place, but before she could rise and receive the next ball, it dunked down a couple of meters from her where Elliot had aimed.

"Score!" Reggie and Elliot high-fived. "Nineteen - nineteen. Be ready for next serve."

Josh gave her an irritated look. "You gotta be faster than that if we're going to have a chance."

"Yeah, sorry. I'll do better." Chloe brushed away sand from her elbows, belly, and knees and took position for receiving the next serve from Reggie. The next point was also lost, partially because she didn't wanted to throw herself, or even jump high and run fast enough, to catch it. Her skimpy bikini made her feel bare. With the slightest movement, her top moved, and she constantly had to pull the skinny bikini bottom from in-between her buttocks. She felt like she might as well run around naked.

"I know you didn't have time to warm up or anything, but you better get your move on, Chloe," Josh said. "If they win the next point, they take the set."

"Yeah, I know. Then we will have to play another deciding set."

"Yes, and I don't like how our chances look for winning that."

They lost the set. The final and deciding set was always played to just fifteen points instead of the usual twenty-one. Hooting and high-fiving, Elliot and Reggie grew more and more confident as they scored point after point, while Josh grew more and more silent and irritated. When the score reached twelve to three, Josh finally exploded into a loud string of curses. "Time out!" he shouted and stomped up to Chloe. He glared angrily at her. "What the hell are you doing?" he whispered heatedly. "You had that ball! I can see you are not playing at your best. Your positioning is excellent, but you don't follow through. Are you playing for Elliot to win, or what?"

"No, of course not."

"I mean, if you want him to win, which I can understand, why the hell did you even bother playing?"

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not trying to help him win. I promise."

His hands on his hips, Josh gave her a questioning look from under a furrowed brow. "So what is it then?"

Chloe shrank back a bit. "Well, this is going to sound lame, but it's this damned bikini." Red-cheeked, she gestured down at her scantily clad body. "It's not made to jump and run in, I mean, at all. It makes me feel really uncomfortable."

He gave her a long look, and then he pursed his lips. "I see… Well, I can't say that I blame you. I would probably feel the same." Chloe couldn't help smiling a little at the thought of Josh playing volleyball in her minimal swimwear. He gave her a smile back before asking, "So, what are we to do? We can't just give them the match." His forehead scrunched as he gave her an intense stare. "I _know_ we can beat them."

"Hey losers!" Elliot shouted from the other half of the court. "What are you doing? Are we playing or what?"

"Dragging your feet like this will only delay the inevitable," Reggie added, a big grin on his face.

"Calm down," Josh shouted back, "we'll be playing again in a minute." He turned to Chloe. "Well, any ideas?"

"I could play in my shirt and jeans?" Josh looked skeptically at her again. "Or…" She pouted her lips. "Maybe if I could borrow something else to play in? I could ask the girls."

"No, they are tiny compared to you. Their clothes will probably not fit, but… you could borrow my shorts and t-shirt? We are about the same size."

Chloe looked down at his trunks. "Yeah. I guess…?"

"Oh, not these, I need them." A bit embarrassed, Josh laughed. "One moment." He rushed off.

"What the hell are you doing?" Elliot complained from the other side of the net. "This is ridiculous, guys! Tick-tock!"

Josh came back, panting, holding a pair of fancy olive, cargo-style shorts in a silky fabric. "Here, try these on." He proceeded to take off his pink and blue, Hang Ten t-shirt and handed it over as well. Chloe put on the shorts and shirt. The t-shirt smelled of Polo by Ralph Lauren, and the shorts were comfortable but a bit wide. "There are straps on the side where you can adjust the size." Josh said, pointing. Chloe tightened the waist of the shorts. He looked at her. "Okay?"

"Yeah, I think this will work. But I will probably ruin them in the sand."

"If we win, it's worth it," Josh said, and then he raised his eyebrows at her. "So, are you good?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Josh held out his hand, and she low-fived him, awkwardly, but he didn't seem to notice. He jogged out onto the court and waved to Reggie and Elliot. "Okay, we are ready." Chloe followed him out.

"Already? That was quick," Reggie shouted back. "I am thirsty for that victory beer, guys. I can almost taste it in my mouth already."

"Yeah, let's finish this," Elliot said, and threw the ball to Reggie. "Your serve. You fucking crush them, now."

The serve came fast and hard. As usual, Reggie served directly at Chloe, probably trying to scare her. She managed to deflect it and passed it to Josh, who passed it forward to the net. She rushed forth, jumped, and smashed it down. Elliot threw himself with a yell, barely saved it, and managed to get a pretty good assist for Reggie to attack with. Reggie jumped with his tall body and long arms and spiked the ball hard down over the net. Chloe was already there, jumping high with arms stretched upwards. The ball hit her on the wrist and bounced almost straight up. The smug smile on Reggie's face turned into bafflement as Chloe jumped again to attack on the ball's return down. He scrambled to block. Elliot shouted something indiscernible behind him as Chloe smashed. Reggie jumped high, stretching his arms wide, but instead of actually trying to spike it, Chloe feigned the shot and cut it hard, diagonally-down, and close to the net on the other side of the court, right in front of Elliot. Elliot threw himself forward but was too slow. The ball passed a couple of inches from his outstretched hands. He landed heavily in the sand.

"Yeah!" Josh rushed forward to Chloe and patted her energetically on the back. "Who said girls can't jump? That was an incredible block, man!" He exhaled loudly. "Whoo! You must've jumped at least three, four feet! And that cut shot! You really fooled them with that one! It was perfect!"

Josh's face was just one big grin. Chloe smiled back. Josh's enthusiasm was contagious. She had definitely not made a four feet vertical jump, but it was good seeing him smile instead of groan and grumble for a change.

Looking sour, Elliot picked up the ball. "Wasn't that a double contact fault?"

"Nu-uh," said Josh. "You are allowed to touch the ball again if the first contact was a block. Read the rules, El."

"Are you sure?" Elliot stared defiantly at Josh.

"Yeah, it's the rules," Reggie said, taking the ball from Elliot and throwing it under the net to Josh. "Their serve, but it's still twelve to three in our favor." He patted Elliot on the shoulder. "We've got this, man."

Elliot angrily knocked his hand away. "As long as you don't screw up again, _man_."

Josh handed Chloe the ball. "You've got the serve, right?"

Chloe nodded and walked to the baseline with the ball, weighing it in her hands. Then she threw it high up in the air, jumped, and hit the ball hard as it returned down, sending it in a speedy, flat trajectory down into the corner behind Elliot, who was caught totally flatfooted.

"A-fucking ace!" Josh fist-pumped in the air. "That's what I call a serve!"

"Oh, come on!" Elliot whined. "She never asked if we were ready!"

"Do you want her to ask where to place the serve, too?"

Elliot and Reggie grumbled, but next serve they were ready. It didn't help much. Chloe's serves never allowed them to get into the match. She always seemed to find their weak spots, be it to serve exactly in between them so they were confused about who would run after it, or a short one just by the net so Reggie had to lumber his tall body forward, often out of balance, or long balls to let Elliot, his brow shining with sweat, run around to try to catch them all over the court. There weren't many aces after the first, but her serves left Reggie and Elliot in such disarray that it was easy for Chloe and Josh to score on their returns. After a while, the points were fourteen to twelve in their favor. They had scored eleven points in under ten minutes, and they hadn't lost the serve once. Now they had the first match ball, and Chloe was still serving.

Elliot held the ball and gestured for her to come and get it. When she got closer, she saw that he was fuming with anger. She reached for the ball, but he held it back. "You think you are such a high-flyer, don't you?" Grinding his teeth, he stared at her. "Listen to me, next serve and all the serves after that, if there are any, you place it just before me. Okay? Right down in front of me, or else you are going to be in _so_ much trouble. Do you understand?" Chloe just stared at him, unable to really comprehend what he was saying. "Hello stupid, anybody home?" He grabbed her chin and narrowed his eyes. "Do you understand me?"

She nodded while his strong fingers squeezed her chin and cheeks, making her lips pucker. She didn't know what else to do. He nodded, flashed an unfriendly smile, and gave her the ball. "Good girl, now go get it done."

She must've looked pretty shook up when she came back to her side of the court, because Josh came forward with a concerned look on his face. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," she mumbled. Inside, she was seething.

"Don't care about El. He is just a sore loser." Josh patted her back gently. "He'll be sulking for a while, but he'll get over it." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Now, we have a match to win. Match ball, Chloe, who would've thought," Josh mused. "Let's finish this."

Chloe silently went back to the baseline to prepare for her serve. She didn't care about winning or losing this match really. What had Elliot said? Straight down in front of him. Sure, she could do that, no problem. She could aim it right at him with little trouble. Just like he asked…

"Hey, what are you waiting for, better times?" Elliot yelled. "Hit the fucking ball, Chloe!"

She stared at Elliot who stood glaring at her from the other side of the net. Then she served. It was not a jump serve or even a regular overhand serve. She just hit the ball from below, right standing where she stood. It looked like a simple beginner's serve, but instead of just flopping down on the other side of the net, right in front of Elliot as he had expected, the ball went high, very high.

"What the…" she heard Josh mutter a couple of meters away. "A freaking skyball?"

The ball went almost straight up into the air, high in the sky, almost disappearing against the blue backdrop, before turning down again. It came zooming down fast, straight down, making it hard to judge its speed and position. The sun had climbed high in the sky and now shone in Elliot's eyes as he stood looking up, trying to get into the right position. Chloe had gotten a bit lucky. Skyballs were pretty easy to miss with, even for an experienced volleyball player. A slight error in the hit or a sudden gust of wind could easily veer it off course.

But this time, it was aimed perfectly, straight down in front of Elliot, just where he wanted it. Elliot swore as he positioned himself for the defense. It was tricky with the sun in his eyes, and he had to adjust at the last moment and throw himself sideways. He actually managed to hit the ball, but he couldn't control it. The ball smacked down hard on his hands and went wide out of court.

"Fifteen - twelve!" Josh shouted, running around in circles. "The match is ours! That was an incredible serve, Chloe! I've only seen that on TV before!"

"Heh, I got lucky." Chloe shrugged sheepishly.

"Lucky, my ass." He laughed, ran up to her, and gave her a hard hug. Still holding her, he slapped her back comradely. "Why the hell haven't you played with us before?"

"You are already had four players, and you never asked."

"I can't believe it!" Reggie whined as he came walking over from his side of the court. "How the hell could we lose? That game should've been ours." He bumped a fist with Josh. "Good game, guys, that was one for the books, indisputably." He shook his head in disbelief and walked up to Chloe. "Well played, Chloe. Really. I am seriously impressed." He reached out his large, freckled hand and they did a homie handshake the way she had seen the guys do a thousand times. It was a first for her though. Reggie had a big, lopsided smile on his large, friendly, acne-scarred face. "You can play on my team anytime, man."

"Or you can play on mine," Chloe responded with a smile.

"Wooo! Hear that, guys? I'm in!" Josh and Reggie laughed and walked over to the cold storage and the victory beer with Chloe. "The way you used the sun in that last serve, that was genius," Reggie said as he gave her a sidelong glance.

"Nah," Chloe answered, slightly pink-cheeked, "it's an age-old fighter pilot trick. Always try to use the sun to your advantage. It's actually the first rule of Dicta Boelcke."

"Who is Dicta Boelcke?" Josh asked. "Never heard of him."

"That's not really surprising. It's not a person, though. It's an old manual on combat every fighter pilot should know, written by a dude called Boelcke. All aerial combat tactics and maneuvers are based on it, more or less. It's like the Sun Tzu of air combat, but it's not really something you'd read otherwise."

Josh looked a bit embarrassed. "I have never heard of the Sun Tzu either."

"Well, Sun Tzu actually is a person. He wrote a book called _The Art of War_ , a real classic." Chloe had to bite her tongue. She could talk for hours about Boelcke, Sun Tzu, du Picq, Yeager, and the likes, but she felt that maybe now was not the right time, nor the right company.

"Cool, you know your stuff," Reggie said as he opened the cooler bag. "Let's hope these bastards are cool too." He picked up two bottles of Corona and a bottle opener. "Where's Elliot?"

Elliot hadn't been with them since the end of the game. Now he came walking up with a face like a thunderstorm.

"Hey, man," Reggie said, opening a bottle of Corona and handing it to him, "good game. Sorry we didn't win this time either, but we'll beat them next week."

Elliot didn't respond. He just snatched the bottle from Reggie and gave him an angry glare.

"Yeah, good game," Josh said, a bit more carefully. Chloe was silent.

"Well," said Reggie, holding his beer bottle high over his head, "credit where credit is due. Time for the victory beer." He stood in front of Josh and bowed deeply. "Accept my humble offering of peace and servitude, ye mightiest volleyballer of the beach."

"Your pledge is most graciously accepted," Josh answered with mock formality.

They turned and waited for Elliot to do the same, but he walked up to Chloe, held the bottle of beer out to her, and said nothing. She hesitated, then reached out a hand to take the condensation-covered Corona, but Elliot took a step backwards and tipped the bottle, letting the golden liquid pour out onto the sand in a pool of froth between them. All the while he stared intensely into her eyes.

"What the hell, man," Reggie said indignantly. "What'cha doing?"

Elliot threw the half-empty bottle down hard onto the wet sand. Then he grabbed Chloe's outstretched hand. "I need a word with my girlfriend," he growled, voice hollow, and yanked at Chloe's arm hard enough for her to lose her balance. "Chloe! Now!" Elliot dragged her brusquely away to the other side of the volleyball court.

He turned around and stared down into her face. Chloe's heart thumped hard as she stared up at him. She had never seen him this angry. He couldn't even talk coherently. "You…you…" He grabbed and shook her by the shoulders.

Chloe broke his grip and stepped backwards. "What are you doing, Elliot?" She stared at him in disbelief.

"Don't you dare walk away! You stay here, and we'll talk!"

"Keep your hands off me, and we'll talk."

"I can do whatever I like!" He grabbed at her again, but she side-stepped him. Shaking with anger, he pointed at her, jabbing his finger at her, punctuating his angry words with the stabbing motion. "If I tell you to do something, then you fucking _do_ that something, understood? You thought you were really smart back there, didn't you? The truth is, you are just a dumb bitch that got lucky. Don't you ever, _ever_ , embarrass me like that in front of my friends again, you hear me?"

"Hey," Reggie shouted from behind them, "go easy on her, man. It's just a game, for heaven's sake."

"This is _not_ just a fucking game! And stay out of it, fuck-face, this is between me and my girl!" Elliot turned to Chloe again. "Look how they are brown-nosing you now, just because you got lucky with a couple of balls. It's fucking disgusting. I bet you loved that hug you got from Josh, didn't you? Yeah, of course you did. When we get married, and a little birdie told me my promotion is very close, then there will finally be an end to all this stupidity." Elliot gestured widely with outspread arms, as if indicating the grains of sand around them were evidence of her so-called stupidity. "You will stay at home, on the _ground_ , and you will raise our family. And you will fucking do as I say!"

Chloe felt a lump form in her throat. Did he really mean what he was saying? "You aren't serious, right? N-no way I will give up flying, even when we are married. You can't demand that of me."

"Oh yes, I am, I can, and I will. I have cut you so much slack, but that will come to an end, now. You will let that hair grow long, like a proper woman, you will dress like a woman, and I will definitely sell that damned, ass-ugly motorcycle of yours. My kids will not have a freaky motorcycle mom. You will drive a big honkin' car, as is proper."

 _So, this is Elliot's plan for my future? Swell._ "Y-You call this cutting me slack? Really?" Chloe stared at him. "Shouting at me? Threatening me? Telling me what to do and not to do? Telling me how to dress and not to dress?" Tears started to well up in her eyes. She continued, suppressing a sob, "Not allowing me to go to Topgun just because it was inconvenient for you? For _six weeks_?" Chloe grabbed her left hand with her right and pulled off the engagement ring. "You can have this, and come back to me when you can act like a decent human being, okay?" Sniffling, she gave the ring to Elliot, who took it with a flabbergasted expression. "Now, I am off to California for two months, and we'll see where we stand when I come back."

"You…You wouldn't dare!"

As she motioned to walk away, he came at her furiously, and Chloe was very happy for all the hours of pain and sweat she had spent in close combat training. She was used to fighting men, and she knew she could take no chances. In a straight up wrestling match, she would stand small chance, even against Elliot. Chloe threw herself to the side and grabbed Elliot's arm as he thrust it forward. She pulled him off balance, using his own momentum against him, and he stumbled forward into the sand like a sack of potatoes. Elliot rolled over, grains of sand covering his hair and face. His eyes were wild as he stared her down.

Chloe took a few steps backwards. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "You know what?" she said, as a new feeling of calm spread through her. "You can keep that ring. And also, Fuck you."

Elliot stared at her for a couple long seconds. Then, with an animal-like roar, he rose fast and lunged against her. Her heart in her throat, Chloe turned to run, but the next instant Josh and Reggie were there, catching Elliot and holding him in a steady grip.

"What the hell are you doing?" Josh shouted at Elliot, struggling to keep him under control.

Reggie gave Elliot a stern look and held the crazed man in his strong grip. "You go and take a _long_ walk and calm the fuck down, man. Right now." They shoved Elliot away, placing themselves between him and Chloe. Reggie stared him down. "I mean it."

Elliot opened his mouth and started to scream obscenities at them, but Josh just replied, "Oh, put a sock in it, El. Just go away, will you?"

Amazingly, it worked. Elliot turned and walked away, still furious but clearly ashamed, his head hunched deep between his shoulders. Josh and Reggie, with Chloe between them, turned and began to walk to where the others sat. Dumbfounded, the girls just stared at them with their mouths open in shock.

"Are you all right?" Josh asked her. Chloe just shook her head.

"Oh man, your boyfriend didn't take that well, did he?" Reggie said with a small, sad laugh. "I knew he was a bad loser, but this? That was over the top, man, just over the top."

Chloe wiped her tears away. "Actually, he's not my boyfriend any longer." They both looked at her in surprise. "Yeah, we are over. I never believed how much he hated me, but Elliot really hates me." Chloe could feel new tears forming. "I-I just don't understand why." She scrunched her face, not wanting to cry again.

Talking over each other, Josh and Reggie started to protest. Of course Elliot didn't hate her. He will come to his senses. He knows he has made a fool out of himself, and so on, but Chloe couldn't think of it any other way. There had been hate, and there had been violence. She could never go back to him after this. The realization had crept up on her slowly, and it made her feel so lost, and also afraid. It was a scary feeling to be left all alone, but in a way, it was also freeing. She wasn't sixteen anymore, after all. She was responsible for a thirty-million dollar airplane, and come to think of it, she also had responsibility for her navigator's life. She should be able to take responsibility for her own life too, however scary it felt. Now she could do whatever she wanted, and she knew exactly what she wanted. She just hoped there was still time.

"What happened down there?" Jessica, Carol, Elizabeth, and Anders flocked around them. Questions and answers flew through the air.

After a moment, Chloe raised her voice and said, "Guys, wait, guys." They all fell silent. "Thank you, really. Thank you for being my friends." She paused, looking at her wristwatch. "But I need to be in Miramar in about forty-two hours." They looked at her in confusion. "That's in California," she added. "I am going to make a try at Topgun after all."

"All right!" Josh said, warmly slapping her back.

Reggie gave her big thumbs up. Carol hugged her tightly. Jessica flashed her a warm smile. Anders still looked a bit lost.

"But, do you have a ticket? Are you going by train, or air?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't have a ticket, so I'll go by motorcycle. I wouldn't want to leave my Ninja behind anyway."

"Ride across the continent in forty hours?" Reggie asked incredulously. "That's impossible, man. I mean, when are you going to eat? Sleep? Pee? That's just unrealistic."

"I think Chloe just showed us that she can do the impossible, right?" Josh said with a lopsided smile.

"Yeah, I'll make it. I hope. I'll call you guys when I get there, alright?"

Chloe quickly stripped off the t-shirt and shorts, the shorts totally ruined by the sand, and handed them back to Josh. Then she dressed in her jeans, shirt, and leather jacket. "Oh, by the way." She dug a hand down into her jeans pocket and fetched a keychain. She plucked off a key. "You said you needed somewhere to stay. Here." She handed it to Jessica. "Green Lakes Drive, fourteen-ten, up one stair. It's not big, and it's not fancy, but it's a bed and a kitchen and a bathroom." She turned to Reggie. "And you keep this girl, Reg. You deserve each other. And I mean that in a good way."

She sat down in the hot sand, put on her socks, and pulled on her biker boots. Then she stood up and looked at her friends. She gave them all a smile and a nod. "I better hurry," she said and started to walk to her parked bike.

"Wait!" It was Josh who spoke. "Do you have enough cash? For gas and tolls and food and stuff? I mean, you really don't have time to stop by the bank, right?"

"Yeah, that's a good thought." Chloe rummaged through her wallet, a frown appearing on her face. "I do need to make a stop at the bank, that's for sure."

"You don't have a credit card?" Carol asked.

"No, I have problems paying my bills as it is."

"But, doesn't a fighter pilot earn good money?" Jessica asked, her eyes big in confusion.

"Well, sure, the pay is pretty good, but, well, it's a long story. I'll tell you later. If I have to go to the bank, I definitely should have been on my way an hour ago."

Elizabeth fetched her bag and took out her purse. She promptly handed Chloe a bunch of bills. "Here, it's all I've got on me, but it should cover something."

They all took out their wallets and purses and started to hand money over to Chloe, who just stood there, silent. Anders was the last one to empty his wallet into her hand. "There, hopefully you'll have enough to cover the trip now," he said and laughed, "or else all this bill-ruffling will have been pointless."

Chloe rubbed her cheeks as she stuffed the small pile of money into her backpack. Damn, her leaking eyes had been a big nuisance lately. "Yes, thank you, this will definitely do." She stood up, shouldered her bag, and wiped at her eyes one last time. "Thank you, guys, seriously. I will pay you back. I promise."

"Don't mention it," Josh said, a big smile on his face, his arm around an also smiling Carol. "Go now. Drive fast and drive safe."

Carol winked at her. "We'll do a shot for you tonight at Peabody's. Good luck and godspeed."

As Chloe jogged over the beach towards her waiting motorcycle, she turned around one last time to look for Elliot. He was nowhere to be seen.


End file.
